PUTRAJAYA: Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the man who played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic, has called it a day after serving the country for 35 years.

He clocked out for the last time at the Health Ministry at around 4.20pm on Wednesday (April 19).

Dr Noor Hisham was all smiles as ministry staff gathered at the lobby to bid him farewell.

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Asked on his post-retirement plans, Dr Noor Hisham said he wanted to take a rest.

"I have been working for a long time," he said.

He also expressed thanks to the Health Ministry for all assistance rendered throughout his 10-year tenure as health director-general.

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As the person leading Malaysia's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Noor Hisham will be remembered for helping to steer the nation out of the health crisis that has crippled the globe since 2020.

Dr Noor Hisham joined public service as a medical officer in August 1988 before assuming the position of general surgeon in 1994 and served as Hospital Putrajaya general surgeon in 2004.

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He succeeded Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman as the health director-general on March 1, 2013. Prior to that, Dr Noor Hisham held the post of deputy health director-general (medicine) from Feb 1, 2008.

He graduated with a Master's degree in surgery and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia before continuing his studies in the field of endocrine surgery and training at several universities in Adelaide and Sydney, Australia.